After the end
by Jitus
Summary: Severus wakes up in the other world. Who is waiting for him here? No romance, just a little bit boring converation between two people.


"Look at me." His eyes caught the green pair. Then the green colour began fading to black and finally there was only black. No pain, no fear, no hatred... He felt... comfortable. He could not remember when the last time he had felt like this was. Maybe when he was a boy, lying on the grass with Lily... Or maybe not even then?

"Dear boy, I don't want to be rude but lying with the eyes shut maybe is not the best way how to spend your afterlife."

"Dumbledore." Comfortable feeling was gone. But what else he could expect? He was a bad guy, after all, he needed to be punished and what could be worse than being offered lemon drops for eternity? "What do you want? I did everything like you asked me. Or ordered me, to be more precise."

"Yes, you did very well, Severus. You were brave, very brave, my boy. One of the bravest. Many are brave enough to give their lives, but just few have a bravery to be hated by their friends."

"Cut it, Headmaster. When you're talking like this, you always want something. So go straight to the point." He finally opened his eyes. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Looks like dungeons to me, dear boy. And don't look at me like that, that is a place of yours subconscious's choice, not mine."

"So why are you here?"

"To ask _you_ the same question."

"Why am I here?" Snape smirked. "Because I'm dead?"

"That's obvious. But why are you dead, dear boy?"

"Maybe you were busy eating after-life lemon drops and so you didn't see that giant snake biting my neck." Finally he got up and looked around. It really reminded dungeons in Hogwarts, although somewhat cleaner and more welcoming. Also the clothes he was wearing now was less restraining and more comfortable then he was used to. Just a shirt and trousers – he wasn't dressing casually like this even in his private time, but maybe an afterlife has different rules. The shirt was loose around the neck and he raised a hand to find out, if he is something like Nearly Headless Nick, but the skin felt intact so apparently different rules applied in this as well.

"Yes, it was a terrible wound that snake did to you," Dumbledore nodded. "Terrible indeed. I've seen that. But I've seen others things as well. Healing potions your pockets were stuffed with – including antidote you prepared as soon as I mentioned to you that Nagini is somehow important. So I ask you again – why did you not use it? You had already the vial in your hand when Harry kneeled beside you. Why did you stop? Why did you not use it?"

Snape gave him one angry look and then he – without a word – turned around and headed for doors. Dumbledore followed him with a wide smile. Next room was same as the previous and as the next, and next, and next. Snape wasn't stopping, he was walking on and on, until he reached one room that was different than the others.

"That does not come from _my_ subconscious!" he pointed on the big red wallpaper with a golden lion on it and big sign stating: 'I LOVE GRYFFINDOR.'

"I wouldn't be so sure, my boy," said Dumbledore kindly. "I woke up in a confectioner's and there, among others sweets, was a big bowl of green and white jelly snakes." He chuckled. "But maybe this is really my doing. But how else could I stop you?"

"What do you want?" Snape snapped.

"Answer to my question."

"Or what? I spend eternity in this room with you chasing me?"

"Dear boy, to be able to move on you must understand your past. So once again. Why did you not take the antidote?"

"I was... I don't know." Snape was pacing before Dumbledore left and right, left and right,... "There was not time for thinking... I needed to give Potter my memories and then... I was too weak."

"Why did you not take first the potions and then gave Harry memories?"

"I was dying! I didn't have time for long planning of every move and word!" answered Snape with hardly suppressed rage. Then he stopped walking and looked Dumbledore right in the eyes. "What are you suggesting? That I wanted to die? That I committed some sort of suicide? You want to tell me that it is wrong, a sin, or something like that? Then, maybe, you should think about yourself first. Or do you want to tell me that touching a cursed ring was normal for a genius like you? Or did you just want to get rid of this war, let it for others and you yourself just watch it comfortably from above, behind, besides or what I know where we are now?"

"Quite a long and passionate speech for you, Severus," answered Dumbledore calmly. "But you are right my boy. It is not about you, it is about me. Come." He entered next room and Snape hesitantly followed.

There was an armchair and a chair in the room, Snape automatically headed for the chair. He realised this the moment he sat down. _Great! This is my afterlife I should have taken the armchair, he is a guest. Unwanted guest, chair is good enough for him. Instead I'm acting like being in Hogwarts once again. Only thing that is still missing is a bowl of some sweets._ In that moment a bowl full of sweets appeared in the air before Dumbledore.

"Oh, thank you, Severus, it's very kind of you."

Snape just frowned at him. "Go to the point."

"Yes, you are right, dear boy. My point." Dumbledore picked up one caramel and put it into his mouth. "Hmm, delicious. Right, where were we? Yes I know. Do you remember our first meeting, when you came to ask me to help Lily? Do you know what I saw in you?"

"Disgusting Death Eater you could use for greater good?"

"No, my boy. I saw myself."

Snape looked at him, surprise clearly written in his face. Then he composed himself and asked ironically: "You were also a Death Eater? They forgot to mention it in your biography. Or did you read what Rita Skeeter has written about you and do you now think it must be true even if you don't remember it happening?"

"Rita was looking for sensations and not for true but still there is something truthful in her book. As a young man I was also looking for power, Severus. And it also cost me a life of someone very dear to me." He sighted. "When you came to me I thought that I had a new chance... That I could help you to..." He sighted again. "It doesn't matter now, I made you just the same as me. Perfect in what you were doing, one of the most important figures of our war, but lonely in your private life and longing for peace of death at the end. I wasn't able to show you a way to happy life. And I am sorry for that, my boy."

Snape looked him, hesitated and then started quietly. "I killed my father. Before I was working for you."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I suspected something like that. But you regretted it, didn't you?"

"I am not sure." Snape stand up and started pacing around sitting Dumbledore. "It was Dark Lord's gift to me, my hated muggle father... He gave him to me to do whatever I wanted. He stood there, man whom I never liked, whom I hated, whom I never understood and who never tried to understand me, but in that moment... He knew what was going on and in his eyes I saw a plea to kill him quickly. It was a first time we..." He stopped and breathed heavily for few moments. "Do you know what he told me? 'Severus. Please, my son.' And I obeyed. I killed him instantly, no torturing, no spitting in his face. Just Avada Kedavra." He stopped walking and looked somewhere behind Dumbledore. "When I joined you, I thought that you would show me a path, where I could respect my...mentor and where I would not end up killing him."

There was a long silence and then Dumbledore said, tears in his eyes. "I didn't know, my boy."

"But you wouldn't act otherwise even if you had known it, would you?"

Dumbledore said nothing to this and Snape sighted, closing his eyes. "So what now? Did you get what you wanted? Will you now let some others torture me as well?"

"Torture you, Severus? Oh, no, my dear, brave boy. You deserve a peace, you earned it. When you leave this room you will find a way on and you will find all the others you wish to talk to."

Snape looked at him suspiciously and then he turned to the door.

"But," Dumbledore stopped him before he could leave the room. "If I am right and you resemble me as much as I think, then you will realise that however it satisfies you to be able apologise and take forgiveness from those you are so eager to meet, they are not the ones you wish to explore this new adventures with. You will find me then, if you wish."

"New adventures with you?" asked Snape slowly. "I don't think so, Headmaster. I want peace, nothing more."

Dumbledore chuckled. "We'll see, dear boy, we'll see."


End file.
